The Black In Fashion Council has been spearheading showrooms for Black designers since 2020. Now, more than ever, these showrooms are crucial to helping Black designers be seen and supported. The intentional organization has surpassed the trend of supporting Black designers and the founders Sandrine Charles and Lindsay Peoples have been doing the work to ensure the livelihoods of marginalized creatives doesn’t come to a halt due to the current decline of DEI programming.
This season’s showroom featured A. Potts, Busayo, Daveed Baptiste, Freddie Estelle, Fumi the Label, Heartthrob, Lisou, Muehleder, Nia Thomas, and VICTIM15. On the 18th floor of the fashion industry’s new favorite building, WSA, these designers filled two rooms with skyline views to showcase their new Fall/Winter 2025 collections.
Standouts included Nia Thomas’ collection which featured paper raffia in a Ferrari red shade and her signature knits with intricate beading and button details throughout. She says she challenged herself by using leather and mohair for the first time in her latest collection. Butter yellows and bold teals also filled the collection in the form of silk slip dresses and fuzzy knits.
“I enjoy doing in person sales and showrooms to see what’s working and what’s not. In terms of sizing, in terms of materials, in terms of things a lot of women are insecure about, like, our stomachs and our arms and, our hip dips and so on. What can I do to make people feel more beautiful about those things and flatter them more? So, it’s just a lot of constant learning and just wanting to have fun, because this world is already so stressful,” Thomas shared.
Another brand that caught our attention was A. Potts, founded by Aaron Potts. His collection was an extension of his runway show with pieces that were more casual. “I thought so much about how I dress, how my friends dress. We all wear fleece, we all wear denim, we love a big shirt, we love a good pair of track pants that you can dress up or dress down. This portion of the collection is all of that but A. Potts,” the designer declared. His pieces were featured in a washed blue denim shade from matching denim sets to graphic T-shirts with politically charged messages such as a print saying “92 adjacent,” a nod to former Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign run. His pieces are derived from sustainably sourced materials and are made by demand.
Muehleder’s approach to designing to embolden women was refreshing. Founded by Larissa Muehleder, the brand’s latest collection featured a playful take on suiting that the designer wore herself—a blue blazer dress with bow details throughout. The bow motif continued in her collection on a matching black mini skirt set with diamonds to accompany the bows. Stretch materials were used for comfort in a tweed-like three piece suit set that could accentuate the female form while empowering her. The pants accompanying the set featured a slit on the sides to show off heels while a zip up overlay can layered over the blazer for an even bolder suited look.
“[This] collection is about being bold, original, colorful, and not being afraid to own that space. Muehleder is mostly known for color and vibrancy. I’m Nigerian, so I do not shy away from that at all. We’re known for voluminous dresses, and throughout last year, I felt like I saw women pivot into this strong [moment],” the designer expressed.
“We want to be taken seriously, but also, we’re not afraid to show our feminine inside and be multifaceted in that way,” Larissa shared. She added that she was aiming to create pieces inspired by suits with a playful edge.
